[Dianne M]

Hi Tracy –

Here is our first attempt at the Wingin It Countermotion game. He seemed to need a reminder first rep but then I think he did okay. He’s very clear to tell me when he’s done.

I did one teeter rep with a teeny tiny tip. Gave him the best treat I had which I know he will take. I wish I had something that he goes nuts over, but he’s pretty ho hum about food. Anyway, I apparently didn’t hit the record button hard enough because I didn’t get it recorded. He didn’t seem too bothered by it.

Have a happy 4th of July. I wish you quiet fireworks.

Dianne

[Dianne M]

Hi Tracy –

Hot weather is a bummer for agility training LOL.

Here are the straight lines from the tunnel. They went pretty well except the rear cross attempts. I apologize for the camera angle – I didn’t realize how badly I had set it up for your review until I watched it myself. Anyway, the first rear cross attempt I was accidentally giving him the right wrap cue so he was correct to go right. Second rear cross attempt I’m guessing I deceled too early so I pulled him off it? Third time’s a charm LOL. Rear crosses have always been difficult for me so it’s something I have to train better for.

On the teeter mountain climbers, we’re up to full height Yay!

The wobble board exercise doesn’t seem to be a problem for him. I plan on bringing it out on the patio stones next session for the noise. Whenever it gets cooler that is ….

Have a great 4th of July. I’m one of the fortunate ones where fireworks and thunder doesn’t seem to bother my dogs (sigh of relief). Hope yours is uneventful.

Dianne

• This reply was modified 2 years ago by Dianne M.

[Dianne M]

Hi Tracy –

I’ve been traveling for the last week so we’ve gotten very little training done. Got back last night so here’s our this morning session –

Straight Lines 4 Ways – these were fun. We were moderately successful. I only got through the baby versions but that’s okay – we both needed a refresher. Let me know what you think.

Here is the motion override game. Boy do we need a lot of work with this one! I am seeing frozen behavior again – any thoughts on this? Fortunately this is a nice game we can play indoors in the heat of the SC day.

I also will need to revisit the pinwheel jumps game from last week because it rained so much before I left for my trip that we didn’t get to work on that area much. These will all be summertime to-do’s.

Have a great day!
Dianne

• This reply was modified 2 years ago by Dianne M.

[Dianne M]

Hi Tracy!

Last night’s LIVE class was SO FUN!! I’m beginning to have glimmers of what we will be able to do together. Love Baxter ❤️

Here’s where we’re at with the Mountain Climbers. The teeter is very low and we’ve done a few sessions of lots of luring to build his confidence. Today was the first day he offered to do the teeter himself – he snuck around the cone and went up the teeter while I was setting up the camera, so apparently he’s building value Yay!

Let me know what I should be doing next. Does the height matter? Should I gradually raise it and continue with sessions at a slightly higher tilt?

It’s raining buckets here today! My whole course is set up outside and I can’t use it. He can have a break today because he worked so hard last night but I’m told it will be a rainy week. Yuck!

Thanks,
Dianne

• This reply was modified 2 years, 1 month ago by Dianne M.

[Dianne M]

Hi Tracy –

Here is some of the work we’ve done over the last couple of days.

One step sends – Did just a few reps because I’m fighting a summer cold and I had no wind 🙁 He was fast and fun. The wings are about 3’ farther then they were on our first attempt.

Plank Foundations – When I added height to the plank he started to introduce mounting the plank from the side, especially on the left side to the camera. :O I’m ending up helping him along on that side more than I probably should. He also told me in no uncertain terms that he was done with this exercise at the end of the video. In hindsight I should have broken off after three or four reps to play with a toy since he much prefers toys to food. It would have made it more fun for him.

Concept TTFJ game – did a little better with the treats on the mats but he’s still not great at finding them. He missed the middle jump a couple of times – I think one was because of where the treat was delivered.

Let me know what you think.

Thanks,
Dianne

• This reply was modified 2 years, 1 month ago by Dianne M.

[Dianne M]

Hi Tracy –

Here is our first attempt at the mountain climbing game. This unfortunately didn’t go as well as I had hoped. He is not at all confident in going up that teeter. I tried to keep it fun because the last thing I want to do is make him scared. He is engaged and tail wagging and wanting to play but is not comfortable going up that plank.

Should I lower the height? After several attempts should I make this easier?
Let me know what my next steps are.

Thanks,
Dianne

[Dianne M]

Okay we will do the concept transfer game inside on mats next time.

We did the Wingin It One Step Sends this morning. I played with iMovie and cut out the play/play sessions between the reps. Total session was 2:49 and I cut it down to 1:25. Do you want to see all the in between stuff? He’s still not a fan of setting up, although we’re working on it outside of agility practice more and more and he seems to be getting better. Let me know your preferences. These are all four reps we did, third one wasn’t great because it wasn’t what I intended. I intended to front cross after tunnel exit second wing and send him back in the way he came out but my brain got jumbled. Did it on the 4th rep.

Also did the Plank Confidence Game – on the mats since I’m throwing food again LOL. He has no problem with this. Next session we’ll work on the ore advanced lesson tossing treats to the sides.

Let me know what you think.

Dianne

[Dianne M]

Hi Tracy –

>>The only errors were handler errors 🙂<<.

LOL always. Poor pup to be stuck with me 😬

I am sending you a video today that I’m pleased with. We have been struggling with backside pushes since you posted them on the last LIVE class. We’ve been working them, and today I feel like it’s finally clicking. There are some handler oopsies of course, you wouldn’t get a video from me without any LOL. I practically fell over on the pole I was using as a guide – teach me real fast not to come in to the wing but stay out on a parallel path. But that last rep – I had pushed the guide pole out a little more so I’m just about parallel with the center tape, and when I saw his little head look at me and then turn to go around the wing I’m like BINGO we’re finally getting it! Yay! And now we have to work the other side because right now we’re not very balanced.

P.S. Hope you like my neighbor’s rooster in the background LOL.

Have a great day,
Dianne

[Dianne M]

Hi Tracy –

I am just returning from my daughter’s destination wedding in the Smokey Mountains. It was beautiful! Needless to say there hasn’t been a lot of training going on.

We did a little of the starfish handling game. Beginning reps were warmups LOL. He’s fast and I’m going to have trouble keeping up with him 😊

I realize after watching the video that I got the wrong wrap verbal on the last reps 😬

Any suggestions on how to deal with his “freeze” or “hesitation” before coming in to me?

It’s good to be working with him again. I didn’t see him for a week and I missed the little guy!!

Thanks,
Dianne

[Dianne M]

Hi Tracy –

I did another short session of the rear crosses and backsides before changing the setup. I realized what I was doing with the pushes after I watched the video. Hope these are a little better. I did miss the part about you saying to go a little slower after he takes the backside jump so I didn’t do that – sorry 🙁

I’ve watched this video a couple of times but I’m not sure why Baxter went left on the first rep?

Then we tried a little bit of the tunnel threadles. There are some missteps in here but a better first attempt then I expected. I know I messed up the kiss kiss cue on one of those threadles. Verbal cues are not my friend LOL.

Hope you have a good weekend.
Dianne

• This reply was modified 2 years, 2 months ago by Dianne M.

[Dianne M]

Hi Tracy –

I will have to digest all the info you sent in your last post. Thanks for all that!

We revisited rear crosses and backsides today since the rain finally stopped and we can get back outside again.

I tried to clean up the verbals per our last rear cross session. I tried not to use go and did use the left/right verbals a couple of times. Also will try to only use push for the backsides. I used “around” for Gabby so it does slip out from habit.

There are two videos, one going left and the other going right. I feel that the rear crosses are getting better 😊 The backsides still need work but are a little better than last session.

Let me know what you think.

[Dianne M]

Hi Tracy –

Got it on the zig zag jumps and 5 reps maximum.

I’m working on the tandem turns and the transitions.

On the tandems, I know that some of these are actually probably lap turns because I’m facing him. After I sorted out what we were doing though I think they were coming along.

On the transitions, there are a few flubbs. But truthfully not too bad I think. In keeping his working time short we don’t get that many reps in so I take what I can get. I’m aware that I messed up the wing wrap verbals SMH 🤦‍♀️

On the plus side, I am getting better at picking up my own mistakes when reviewing our video. That’s a good thing 🙂

Has anyone asked you yet what comes after MaxPup2? I’m assuming there will be a part 3? Will we be working on weaves or contacts? Baxter is coming on 15 months – can you believe he could actually be competing next month? – not that I would ever do that. I started Eli way too young because I didn’t know any better. Gabby was far more successful when I waited until she was almost 3. But anyway, where will we be going from this class?

Also lastly, any suggestions on improving his endurance? He certainly is not the dog that can go on and on forever. I had this problem with Eli and I learned through his career that he had a very short window of endurance. It was something I should have worked on to improve but being my first dog I didn’t know any better. Baxter is still a puppy, well … adolescent, but any recommendations would be considered. I know a few of the top people running havanese in agility, that make it to invitationals and nationals, treadmill their dogs regularly. I definitely have the space and could get the equipment if needed. Is this something you recommend?

Thanks,
Dianne

[Dianne M]

Hi Tracy –

Thanks for your comments. I will try the get out from the other side of the wing next time we do it.

I’m sending two sessions of the zig zag jump foundations. We did okay working from the middle section (so over two jumps) on the first session. The second session we got a couple halfway to the third jump. He had real difficulty going to his right so with your voice in my head after two failures I made it easier. Second session same thing from that one position. Is it my body position I wonder? Or going to his right is harder? Or he can see me directly in front of him so why should he zig zag around the jump wings LOL? Let me know what you think is the problem.

I also did some wind in the hair transition games but sadly they didn’t get recorded. They went well I think. Unfortunately I got 45 minutes of dead space instead. Pretty sure you don’t want to be watching that LOL.

Thanks,
Dianne

[Dianne M]

Hi Tracy!

Great live class the other day! What fun!

I am working on the serps since it’s a rainy day and we can do this inside. I crack myself up when I review these videos and just imagine what you hear when you review your students’ work. I’m, of course, talking to Baxter like he’s a person and then am humming as we do the racetrack games LOL 😆 I had some bloopers in here, but he of course is perfect! ❤️

Then we did some work on the Out game from the opposite side then what we did the other night. I’m pleasantly surprised that he gets this since we didn’t work it much in our earlier session. From my review I need to start my blinds earlier. On that last rep I really didn’t know if he’d taken the jump or not until I reviewed the video.

I hear you’re going to be in Syracuse. So jealous!

Let me know what you think.

Dianne

[Dianne M]

Hi Tracy –

Thanks so much for your comments. Yes I would definitely like to train Baxter to set up between my legs. Any tips on how to teach him to do that would be great.

I’m so glad I have you! I would have never thought of checking over my past training to notice he’s been doing a lot of jumping. I need to learn to plan better.

I did the diamond handling game as you suggested. The timing of my blinds is way off. I used to do these all the time with Gabby but I’m way out of practice. I find it awkward to present the toy from across my body. I’ll keep practicing 🙂

We took him camping for a few days so won’t be practicing any games. I’ll try to get in some resilience games and just lots of walks and hikes. He was a city dog walking along the streets of Savannah today and was soooo good. What a gorgeous city, by the way.

We’ll be back on Wednesday so I’ll see you for the LIVE class with hopefully a rested and eager boy.

Thanks,
Dianne

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